Blair's migrant plans

The British Government will propose an Australian-style points system for migrant workers in a bid to regain the upper hand on an issue that could prove its Achilles heel in an election expected in May.

The Government is to unveil plans for the points scheme for migrants to screen out unskilled workers and will announce fresh efforts to deport bogus asylum-seekers.

In a YouGov poll in the Mail on Sunday, 70 per cent disagreed with Prime Minister Tony Blair that immigration was necessary because foreign workers are needed to perform jobs Britons will not do.